Am wanting to take a day trip to both Siena and San Gimignano from Florence. What is the best way to go..should I bus to San Gimignano and then to Siena and train back to Florence OR vice versa?? Any advice please

I would rent a car. I was there 2 weeks ago, and do not think there is any bus service to San Gimignano. There is a bus from Florence to Sienna though, although it makes several stops along the way. Anyway with a car it is possible to see both in a day, as well as visit some other towns along the way.

I believe San G has a bus but no train. Siena haas a train and I think also a bus. Not at all sure it is possible to do both in one day without a car given the various schedules - you wold have to check. We used a car throughout Tuscany and found it extremely convenient in terms of making out own schedules and stopping to see interesting things along the way.


You can probably do both in one day with a guided tour - if you enjoy those.

To do both in a single day, I would certainly advise renting a car...but you would do a disservice to Siena by trying to make it a half day visit...it warrants more than that if you can possibly manage it.

You either train or bus (bus is a bit faster - it's the Florence/Poggibonsi/Siena route) to Poggibonsi and change there to the bus for San G (travel time about 20 minutes). There is a bus from Florence to Siena almost hourly. Some are "rapido" and don't stop in Poggibonsi. Here is a map of the bus routes. You would want 131 (Florence/Poggibonsi) and then 130 or 133 (whichever timing works better) for Poggibonsi/San G.
http://www.sienamobilita.it/mappe/Mappa_EXT.pdf

You can search timetables on the Siena Mobilita website.
http://www.sienamobilita.it/EN/orari.html

We have visited San G 4 times. We used public transport 3 of the 4 times. (The only time we went by car was on our first visit!)

The train from Florence to Poggibonsi, then bus from Poggibonsi to San G is a piece of cake.

I would not do both Sienna and SG in one day -- just too much. In fact, I wouldn't visit San G unless i were staying overnight...it's just so much nicer in the early morning and the evening, before and after the daytrippers' descent.

Thank you all so much for the info...I had heard the bus was faster than the train...is the cost of the train versus the bus about the same from Florence to Siena???

Yes, both are about 6€. The bus will drop you in the center (usually Piazza Gramsci, but sometimes Piazza del Sale - a block or two from Gramsci). The train station is not in the center and you would have to catch a bus from there.

Topping because this is something I am looking into as well.

This recent thread has some more information, particularly on buses...

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...an-gamgino.cfm

Watch out for reduced bus service on Sundays. A cab is usually waiting at the Poggibonsi train station even on Sundays, for those who don't want to wait for two hours for the next bus to San G. (Sue raises hand, holding wallet.....) by bus or cab, it's only a short hop of about 10 minutes from the Poggibonsi train station to San G.

If you're determined to do both in a day (not recommended) then I'd go to San G first, as early as you can manage, to avoid crowds. Although I agree with LucieV re the ease of train/bus connection to San G, taking the bus exclusively likely means changing in Siena which you plan to visit at one point anyway. On your outbound trip, you will be effectively 'rehearsing' for the return journey, so you will have the confidence to schedule your time based on that experience.

It's about an hour to Siena, another half hour or so to San G by bus, if memory serves. Enjoy Italy.

>>>>>If you're determined to do both in a day (not recommended) then I'd go to San G first, as early as you can manage, to avoid crowds. Although I agree with LucieV re the ease of train/bus connection to San G, taking the bus exclusively likely means changing in Siena which you plan to visit at one point anyway. On your outbound trip, you will be effectively 'rehearsing' for the return journey, so you will have the confidence to schedule your time based on that experience.<<<<<

You wouldn't go to Siena if you were visiting San G first. You would take the bus to Siena that stops at Poggibonsi on the way and get off there to change buses.

Hi ky

Good catch, I was thinking of the express bus from Florence to Siena, which doesn't stop at Poggibonsi. But to get to San G by bus, one would of course take the regular Florence Siena bus, which does stop in Poggibonsi (and where one makes the change to bus or cab to San G). My bad! but perhaps it was a fortuitous mistake, since now the OP knows to avoid the express bus (corse rapido or something like that, if memory serves?) when taking the bus to San G.

Here is the schedule, so that I don't confuse poor bornintheusa further:


http://www.sitabus.it/sita-toscana/F...0-%20Siena.pdf

Thank you all so much--you made going to these 2 places pretty easy and helpful with all of the bus schedules you included. Only 2 weeks left until we leave!!!